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R. B. LANUM. 'Grave-Torpedo.

No. 228,65L Patented-June 8,1880.

MFEIERS, FHOYO-UTHDGHAPHER, WASHNGTON. D C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD B. LANUM, OF GIRCLEVILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO E. P. WRIGHT AND J. N. COOK, OF SAME PLACE.

GRAVE-TORPEDO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,651, dated June 8, 1880.

Application lcd October E), 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RIcIIAED B. LANUM, of Circleville, in the county of Pickaway and State of Ollio, have invented a new and Improved Grave-Torpedo, of which the following is a specification.

Figure lis an elevation of the device, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, with the shield partly broken away that the mech- Io anism of the device may be more plainly seen. Fig. 3 is a plan showing the shoulder formed in the hammer-shank.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

I5 The object of this invention is to provide a' torpedo so arranged that if placed in a grave it will explode if any attempt be made to rob the grave.

In the drawings, A represents a hollow lne- 2o tallic shell, that is to be iilled with powder,

provided with an opening, (t, in its bottom,

through which the powder is to be introduced, which opening a may be tightly closed with a screw-plug, by,

B is a metallic tube, provided with a iiange or shoulder, c, that is inserted into the shell A, through the central guidingtube, G, until the shoulder or iiange c sets upon the face ot' the shell A. Within this tube B is a hammer,

3o D, whose shank D is .encircled by a spiral spring, E, and in the bottom of said tube Bit is designed to iix a percussion cap or wafer, d,

that shall be exploded by the fall of the hammer D, and cause the explosion of the charge in the shell A.

The shank D/ of the hammer D is eut away, so as to present a shoulder, j', on one face of it. Held by a stud, g, that is made fast on the face of the shell A, is the horizontal flat bar 4o H, whose lower edge rests on the said shell A,

and whore upper edge is made to engage under the shoulder f of the hammer-shank D', und thereby hold the said hammer D drawn up and ready for a blow upon the cap d.

On the top of the hammer-shank D is fixed a cross-bar, F, to each end of which is fastened a draw-wire, Gr,'anda slight pull upon either of these wires Gr will suffice to turn the hammer-shank D so that the shoulder f shall be 5o disengaged from the bar H, in which case the hammer D will instantly be forced down upon the cap d, and the torpedo be thereby exploded.

In order that the torpedo may be safely handled when it is being putin the grave, a locking-pin, I, is screwed into the face of the 5 5 Iiangec of the tube B, so as to press and hold the bar H under the shoulder f of the hammer-shank D.

A shield, K, is set over the mechanism of the torpedo to protect it from the earth when 6o buried, and the sai'd shield K is provided with an upward-projecting tube, L, through which the locking-pin I and its extension-rod M may extend upward to or near the surface of the ground, where the cap It will cover the tube L.

With the bar H locked under the shoulder fof the hammer-shank D the torpedo can be handled with perfect safety, and in this con` dition it is to be placed within the grave with the body, and the train-wires m (shown in dot- 7o -ted lines, Fig. 2) are to be attached to the wires G, and be disposed in various direct-ions throughout the grave, so that they (the wires on) shall be encountered on any attempt to open the grave. Then when the grave is iIled 7 5 the locking-pin I and extension-rod M are with drawn, so that on any future unauthorized disturbance of its mechanism the torpedo will explode.

Should it, however, be desired legitimatelyv 8o to remove the body from the grave, the pin I and rod M can be inserted through the tube L andthe bar H be again locked under the shoulder f of the hammer-shank D so that the removal may be made without danger to those 85 engaged in it.

Havingthus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. rIhe hammer D, hammer-shank D', pro- 9o vided with shoulderf and bar H, in combination with the spring E, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In combination with the cap c of the tube B and the bar H, the locking-pin I, substan- 9 5 tially as and for the purpose herein described.

3. In combination with the shell A and its mechanism, as herein described, the shield K, Substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

RICHARD BRYANT LAN UM.

Witnesses M. P. DAVIS, C. E. MORRIS. 

